BM03 - Crazy Little Thing Called Dead Read Online Free PDF Page A

finished his sentence as he started down the stairs and I heard the lower door bang shut as the left building.
    I turned to Hambecker, who was still leaning against the window-sill. A moth was beating its wings against the window.
    “Do you know who he is?” I asked.
    “I heard you were instrumental in apprehending the Senator. Nice work.” Hambecker caught the moth in his hand, opened the window and let it fly away.
    “You aren’t going to answer me, are you?”
    “I think you just missed the part where I complimented you.”
    “Thank you. But it was really Stripes. If he hadn’t shown up I’d probably be dead.”
    “The skunk? I doubt it.”
    “Who’s Stripes? Did you add a zebra to your menagerie since I was there? he asked.
    “Stripes is a skunk.” I said. “Duh.” I wasn’t feeling especially mature.
    “Saved by a skunk. I would have never guessed.” He pushed himself upright. “See you around, Trouble.” He tapped his knuckles on the desk as he walked past.
    “Considering that you were the cause…” But he was gone. I caught a glimpse of a six inch rip in his jeans just below his left butt cheek and the door slammed behind him. Just one Richard Hambecker sighting had caused my hands to start sweating, and my stupid heart was beating faster just seeing him again. He was excellent to look at and totally bad news.
     
     

 
    Chapter Three
     
    Thursday morning, when my egg, sausage and cheese sandwich was reduced to crumbs on my desk, my coffee cup was three quarters empty and Beagle Annie was once again asleep under my desk, I booted my computer and scanned the list of articles I was planning. Good stuff, but not what I was going to write about this week. I picked up the phone.
    “Bree.” Tom’s voice was warm. Not too much stress today. Good.
    “What can you tell me about the guy in Planet Hair, Maverick?” I was doodling on my legal pad and wishing I had more coffee. I needed my brain to be sharp.
    “This again? Lucky you have me in your pocket, MacGowan. Anyone else would have fed this to the Valley News just to get you off their back . ” His chair creaked.
    “One of life’s perks. So what’s the deal?” I dropped my pen on the desk and leaned back, resting my heels on the desk.
    “I don’t have any more details. We don’t have an ID. We don’t have a motive. We’ve got bupkis.” He was more matter of fact rather than upset. “But we should have a fingerprint match today, dental records tomorrow or the next day. Give us a couple of days with the car, and before you know it we’ll have a case.
    “Come on! You’ve got to have something to give me.” I was upset.
    “Nope. Investigation’s stalled until forensics come back.” Tom said. Still no hint of frustration.
    “That’s bull.” They had to have something by now. They had Hambecker here for cripes sake. “Did Hambecker take over the investigation?” I could see that happening.
    “Nope. He has bigger fish to fry. Unless there’s an issue we don’t know about, he wouldn’t have jurisdiction.”
    Oh, yeah. Jurisdiction. That was always important.
    “Do we know if the car from the lake is related to the murder?” I was trying to cover all the angles like the big boys do.
    “Nothing definitive.”
    “What about the rifle?” Come on. There has to be a connection . I felt like I should be blowing on dice.
    “It takes time, Bree.” He let out a sigh. I was ruining his mood.
    “Come on , Tom!” You’d never know I was his wife’s best friend. “What about time of death, do you have that?”
    “Right around 11P.M. That’s the official word from the coroner.”
    “Well that’s something .” I jotted down the time. “But no suspects at all? Hambecker doesn’t have any ideas?” I was pushing now.
    “Not that I know of.” He rang off with the excuse of work. More like he’d had more than enough of me.
    Bupkis was right. Dang . What could I do with time of death? Bupkis.
    “Hey you,” Meg said as